Critic Reviews
Sweet and Lowdown (1999) Rank 5 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (150) reviews
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National Post (--)
Matinee Magazine (Rob Morlino)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Pamela's Film and Entertainment (Pamela Villaflores)
One of Allen's best works. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Pamela's Film and Entertainment (Pamela Villaflores)
Washington Post (Rita Kempley)
A quirky, tender, splendidly acted fable. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Washington Post (Rita Kempley)
Miami Herald (Phoebe Flowers)
Penn's performance is easily the best ever seen in an Allen film. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Miami Herald (Phoebe Flowers)
Baltimore Sun (Ann Hornaday)
(Penn)'s is a lovely, soulful performance in a movie that manages to imbue tragedy with just the right grace note of insouciance -- a movie worthy of Woody Allen himself. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Baltimore Sun (Ann Hornaday)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Sean Penn('s) performances are master classes in the art of character development. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
It is a fictional docudrama that smacks of Woody's playfulness and love for jazz... ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Emmet Ray is like a man with a very large dog on a leash. The dog is his talent, and it drags him where it wants to go. There are times in ``Sweet and Lowdown'' when Ray, ``the second-best jazz guitarist in the world,'' seems almost like a bystander as hi ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The UK Critic (Ian Waldron-Mantgani)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
It is a fictional docudrama that smacks of Woody's playfulness and love for jazz... ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Jump Cut. Magazin für Film und Kritik
Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Amazing as Penn is, Morton is his equal, creating a complete personality out of gestures, glances and unadorned bits of actorly business. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
Allen draws a snappy, loose-limbed performance from Penn. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)
San Francisco Examiner (Wesley Morris)
San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)
Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Austin Chronicle (Sarah Hepola)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Another light, slight delight from filmmaker Woody Allen (Everyone Says I Love You, Mighty Aphrodite), who pens this fictional story about jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Penn, U-Turn), a genius of an artist, second only to Django Reinhardt in his prowess on th ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Empire Magazine (--)
Time (Richard Corliss)
Samantha Morton, as Emmet's "mute orphan half-wit" of a girlfriend, is the sweet revelation. Rarely has a performer mined such complex and potent emotion from such simple materials: a smile, a shrug, an attentive winsomeness. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Time (Richard Corliss)
Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Still about as good as Allen gets, a persuasive, nuanced, and relatively graceful portrait of an egotistical yet talented jazz guitarist of the swing era, astutely played by Sean Penn. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
The New York Times (Janet Maslin)
This is one very tuneful labor of love. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at The New York Times (Janet Maslin)
LA Weekly (F. X. Feeney)
Funny and light, all the more potent for seeming so effortless. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at LA Weekly (F. X. Feeney)
Slate (David Edelstein)
Unexpectedly delectable. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Slate (David Edelstein)
Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
Penn's performance is the movie's ultimate grace note. As funny and ingenious as Allen's films can get, they are rarely known for depth of character. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
watchingmovies.com (Rob McKinnon)
Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Undeniably pleasant, but British actress Samantha Morton quietly explodes it: Her performance is like nothing I've seen in recent years. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
filmcritic.com gets Low, really Lowdown
TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Affectionate, melancholy and anchored by a well thought-out performance from Sean Penn. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Variety (David Stratton)
The almost wall-to-wall music is glorious, with solo guitarist Howard Alden doing a sock job. Penn, incidentally, utterly convinces in the scenes in which he's seen "playing" the guitar. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Variety (David Stratton)
artechock (Richard Oehmann)
Austin Chronicle (Sarah Hepola)
A literate, sophisticated comedy whose humor and loss and hope linger in our hearts, like the jazz music it reveres, both sweet and lowdown. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Austin Chronicle (Sarah Hepola)
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
The Art House Squatter
Apollo Movie Guide (Mike DeWolfe)
Emmett Ray (Sean Penn) is an egotistical, self-absorbed, womanizing boozer with a nearly unmatched talent for the guitar. Woody Allen takes us into the jazz clubs of the 1930s in this account of a tortured and torturing musician. It’s 90 minutes of ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Mike DeWolfe)
Palo Alto Weekly (Leonard Schwarz)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies (Greg Dean Schmitz)
The Onion A.V. Club (Scott Tobias)
Allen's latest, Sweet And Lowdown, gives the Broadway Danny Rose treatment to its shambling reminiscences about a fictional jazz-guitar legend in the 1930s, but his collaborators manage to bail him out again. Bathed in the luscious colors of Chinese ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Scott Tobias)
New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
Isn't Allen's finest work by a long shot, but an undeniable part of its fascination is trying to figure out what -- if anything, even unconsciously -- he's trying to say about how he treated Farrow. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
Penn hasn't attempted much comedy since "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," but he's masterful here. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
FilmHead.com (Matt Heffernan)
San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)
The best reason in years to reconsider (Woody Allen). ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)
Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Exquisitely designed, lovingly executed, beautifully scored and played, every hair and note in place, it's a movie full of irony, passion and bluesy riffs. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Here's a quick look at the content found in this PG-13 rated drama. Some sexual behavior is suggested (we see characters undressing beforehand, and then see them in bed afterwards), while some brief related talk occurs. Profanity consists of at least 1 ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Woody Allen has never reveled in the spotlight, but he has become even more reclusive in recent years, since the scandal involving his relationship with his wife, Soon Yi, came to light. Even so, despite numerous distractions, Allen has continued to make ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
DVD Review e-zine
Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)
The Dual Lens (Mike Ruderman)
DVD Verdict (Harold Gervais)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Newsweek (David Ansen)
Doesn't add up to any big deal. But it's a likable, lively little ditty -- one theme, some clever variations -- that never wears out its welcome. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Newsweek (David Ansen)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
It's a loving and comic tribute to a musical era Allen knows well. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
The Dual Lens (Davin Lagerroos)
Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
The Phantom Tollbooth
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Memphis Flyer (Mark Jordan)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
A real showcase for Penn, who seems to positively delight in playing a slimy, hateful character that most stars would not go near. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
World Socialist Web Site
eye WEEKLY (Alex Patterson)
Philadelphia City Paper (Cindy Fuchs)
Mr. Showbiz (Michael Atkinson)
A vapor trail of a comedy, comfortable as an old chair (and deliciously photographed in shades of melon and banana by Chinese vet Zhao Fei), but ultimately quaint and unchallenging. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Mr. Showbiz (Michael Atkinson)
PopMatters (Josh Jones)
Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Kino (Alessandro Bencivenni)
culturevulture.net, Choices for the Cognoscenti
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Another light, slight delight from filmmaker Woody Allen (Everyone Says I Love You, Mighty Aphrodite), who pens this fictional story about jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Penn, U-Turn), a genius of an artist, second only to Django Reinhardt in his prowess on th ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Boston Globe (Jay Carr)
Agreeable eye candy and ear candy, but it's too slight to reach as deep as it thinks it wants to reach. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Boston Globe (Jay Carr)
San Francisco Examiner (Wesley Morris)
Woody Allen's questionable toe-tapping faux-documentary. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at San Francisco Examiner (Wesley Morris)
The Squiz: Cine Philes ("Guido Mezzabotta")
Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
Writer-director Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown," a hit when it was unveiled at the 1999 Toronto International Film festival, is an entertaining mock documentary about a guitar player, a figment of Allen's imagination. The musician, named Emmet Ray, has ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Expanded Cinemah
Due le grosse novità in questo ennesimo lungometraggio alleniano presentato fuori concorso a Venezia (ormai, è una tutto sommato piacevole abitudine): il direttore della fotografia, Zhao Fei ( everamente bravo nel ricreare i colori di una "America che ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Expanded Cinemah
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Mixed Reviews: The Arts, The World, and More (Jill Cozzi)
BBC Films (George Perry)
TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Affectionate, melancholy and anchored by a well thought-out performance from Sean Penn. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
eFilmCritic.com (Stephen Groenewegen)
Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
If you aren't sure you like jazz, see this movie just to be exposed to the Django sound! Your next trip might be to the record store. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
Reel.com (Ray Greene)
Cinopsis
Les années 30. Emmet Ray est le meilleur guitariste de jazz du monde, après Django Reinhardt qu'il admire. Mais il est aussi buveur, macho, grossier, et maquereau à ses heures... ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Cinopsis
Cozzi fan Tutti Reviews 'n' Rants
CineFile : il Cinema in Rete (Alberto Cassani)
El Criticon (Antonio Méndez Casanova)
Civilcinema.com (Christian Ramirez)
Boxoffice Magazine
Box Office Magazine
Boxoffice Magazine
cinEncanto (Pablo del Moral)
25frames.org (Christoph Huber)
So I Saw This Movie... (John Halbert)
filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Woody Allen loves jazz. He loves jazz so much that he regularly skips the Oscars to play clarinet with his jazz combo. He talks about jazz all the time. I love Woody Allen, really I do. I'm probably the only living critic who enjoyed Celebrity. I love jaz ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Detroit News (Susan Stark)
USA Today (Mike Clark)
It's all very slight and only sporadically amusing, and it makes Allen's "Celebrity" from last year look even more underrated than it already is. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Globe and Mail (--)
Village Voice (Amy Taubin)
It's the prettiest movie of the year, maybe of Allen's career. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Village Voice (Amy Taubin)
Film.com (Elizabeth Weitzman)
But the movie is so confused about where it wants to go, it suffers from the same identity crisis as its protagonist. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Film.com (Elizabeth Weitzman)
ShowBIZ Data (--)
Film.com (Peter Brunette)
A dud. Neither sweet nor low-down enough by half. ...read the complete Sweet and Lowdown movie review at Film.com (Peter Brunette)
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